Corbett says he signed the state budget, but did a line-item veto for $65 million of General Assembly spending

Gov. Tom Corbett said at a news conference in Harrisburg today that he signed the state budget, but he has done a line-item veto for General Assembly spending. He called on lawmakers to return to Harrisburg and take up pension reform.

He said he did a line-item veto for $65 million in General Assembly spending and an additional $7.2 million in legislative designated spending. He said lawmakers' reserve funding will last for months.

"I'm forcing mutual sacrifice with the General Assembly," Corbett said.

He criticized the General Assembly and public sector unions.

He said the General Assembly increased its own budget by 2 percent "and is charging the taxpayers an additional $5 million to pay for their parking."

He said lawmakers refused to use any funds from their more than $150 million reserve fund.

He singled out the Pennsylvania State Education Association for opposing a plan to change pensions.

"Public sector unions spent millions of dollars to block a meaningful plan that would benefit every homeowner, school district and hard-working Pennsylvanian in the commonwealth. In fact, just last week, the out of touch, paid union leadership of PSEA sent out an email blast, taking credit for blocking that," Corbett said.

The Corbett administration said in a news release that it takes two-thirds vote of each house of the General Assembly to overturn a line-item veto.

Advertisement

State Sen. Daylin Leach, a Democrat from Montgomery County, wrote on Twitter: "It seems we'll easily have the votes to override this strange veto."

See live updates below.

Reported earlier from the Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is preparing to reveal how he'll handle a $29.1 billion spending package sent to him without legislation he backed to curb public pension costs.

The Republican governor is planning a Thursday morning news conference in the Capitol. It is the 10th day of the fiscal year.

He received the main spending bill July 1 from Republican-controlled Legislature. He hasn't said whether he'll sign it, veto the entire bill or scratch out some objectionable spending items.

The package authorizes $943 million more in spending, or about a 3.3 percent increase, largely for public schools, prisons, pension obligations, health care for the poor and social safety-net programs. It does not increase taxes and is supported by more than $2.5 billion in one-time stopgaps to plug a massive deficit.

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story

Sufjan Stevens, "Carrie & Lowell" (Asthmatic Kitty) Plucked strings and pulsing keyboards dominate the distinctive arrangements on Sufjan Stevens' latest album, and in the absence of a rhythm section, they serve to keep time. Full Story